Envelope



Dec. 5, 1967 c. P. GREASON ENVELOPE Filed July 1, 1966 FIG. 1

INVENTOR CRAIG P GREASON 42 fir/ ATTOR N EYS United I States Patent 3,356,286 ENVELGPE Craig P. Greason, Berry Hill Road, Syosset, N.Y. 11791 Filed July 1, 1966, Ser. No. 562,241 Claims. (Cl. 229-70) This invention relates in general to an envelope and in particular to a return mailing envelope comprising in combination a main portion, a coupon portion and a coupon receiving portion.

When sending out advertisements of goods for sale, or for subscriptions to magazines, or the like, a company frequently sends a return envelope in which an order may be forwarded to the company, together with payment for the order.

Various types of return envelopes are known, which comprise detachable return coupons or order blanks, which form a part of the mailing envelope and which may be separated therefrom. Upon separation of the order blank from the main envelope, the same is enclosed in a pocket provided in the envelope and returned to the sender. However, these known types of envelopes have a common disadvantage in that only one defined and predetermined item may be ordered.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned common shortcoming by providing a return envelope which enables the recipient to order an assorted selection of items at a discount price, for instance, magazines, books etc., without using a plu rality of different return envelopes.

It is another object of the invention to further improve these return envelopes by providing a three-way envelope consisting substantially of a main portion adapted to provide a space for the mailing and the return addresses and a pocket section, a second portion which comprises detachable coupons and a third portion to which the selected detached coupon or coupons may be attached. This third portion of the novel envelope is also detachable from the main portion and provides a space for the return address.

A further advantage in accordance with the invention is that the third portion of the novel envelope which receives the coupons serves also as a Special Savings Certificate for the recipient, entitling him to benefit by the discount coupons which were removed from the coupon portion and attached to the coupon receiving portion. Aside from the above mentioned features, the coupon receiving portion is at the same time an order blank.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of a specific embodiment of the invention together with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the envelope, according to the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the envelope shown in FIG. 1 in opened position to show the three-way arrangement thereof.

With respect to the drawings, and in particular with respect to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the novel return envelope 1 is made substantially from one sheet of material. This sheet is subdivided into three main portions, e.g. the envelope 1, together with the envelope flap 2, coupon 3 and coupon receiving portion 4. The main envelope 1 comprises a front face and a back face with an envelope filling opening therebetween. The main envelope 1 comprises a center fold line 5 which is dis posed substantially midway thereof and extends horizontally from one edge of the envelope to the opposite edge. Adjacent to the envelope flap 2, the coupon portion 3 is releasably secured thereto by means of a perforated line 6, as can best be seen in FIG. 1. The coupon portion 3 comprises a plurality of individual coupons 7 which are mounted thereon. The individually arranged coupons are separated from each other by perforated lines 8 which extend substantially around the periphery of each of the coupons. This arrangement permits releasing of an individual coupon 7 from the coupon portion 3, or a whole series of coupons if so desired. The front faces of the coupons are marked with indicia, designating the purpose for which they may be used.

The opposite faces of the coupons are gummed for a purpose which will be explained in detail later on in this specification. It should be noted, however, that the coupon portion 3 is attached to the front face of the envelope.

As shown in FIG. 2, the coupon receiving portion 4 is of slightly shorter transverse extent than is the main envelope, and this portion is secured to the back of the main envelope 1 along a perforated tear line 9 which extends for a distance slightly short of the total width of the envelope. Thus, the coupon receiving portion 4 can be torn from the back of the main envelope along the line 9 and enclosed within the main envelope. The coupon receiving portion provides adequate space for receiving the detached selected coupons 7 gummed thereto and for the orderers name and address. It should also be noted that the coupon receiving portion 4 serves the dual function of providing a Special Savings Certificate entitling the orderer to discounts on certain goods, and as an order form.

The effectiveness and facilitated use of the novel envelope will be apparent from the following detailed description thereof.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, of the drawing, the front face of the main envelope 1 is provided with an adequate space for the address of the company and recipients return address. The coupon portion 3 is secured to the body of the main envelope 1 in the manner already described.

When the recipient is using this coupon portion, he may simply remove the same from the main envelope 1 at the perforated line 6. After removal of the coupon portion from main envelope 1, the recipient may select one or an assorted selection of coupons from coupon portion 3. Coupons 7 may be readily removed from coupon portion 3, due to the perforated lines 8 extending around the outer periphery of each coupon. Having made the selection, the recipient then may gum these coupons to the spaces provided on the coupon receiving portion 4. The coupon receiving portion 4, after being properly filled in with recipients return address, can also be easily removed from the main envelope 1, at the perforated line 9. The removed coupon receiving portion may then be inserted into the pocket provided by main envelope 1. Envelope flap 2 which extends over the upper edge of the main envelope at the center folding line 5, may then be folded towards the main envelope. As already indicated above, the face of the envelope flap which engages the main portion 1 of the envelope, is provided with a thin layer of adhesive, which upon moistening assures a secure closing of the envelope pocket.

From the foregoing it will be evident that, according to the invention, a single envelope may be simply, easily and quickly employed to order a variety of offerings made by the same company.

The embodiment of the invention particularly described is presented merely as an example of how the invention may be applied. Other embodiments, forms and modifications of the invention, coming within the proper scope of the appended claims, will of course readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. A return mailing envelope comprising a main envelope portion having a front face and a back face with a filling opening therebetween, a gummed envelope flap extending beyond the front face of said main envelope portion away from the opening, a coupon portion extending beyond said flap, a coupon receiving portion extending beyond the back face of said main envelope away from the opening, a fold line between said main envelope and said fiap, a perforated tear line between said flap and said coupon portion, and a second tear line between the back face of said main envelope portion and said receiving portion, whereby said coupon portion and said coupon receiving portion can be removed and said flap may be turned about said fold line to adhere to the back face of the main envelope to seal it.

2. A return mail envelope as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of coupons is mounted on said coupon portion, and perforated lines surround each coupon separating it from the other coupons and assuring easy removal of each coupon from the other coupons.

3. A return mail envelope as claimed in claim 2, wherein the rear face of each coupon is gummed to permit its easy attachment to said coupon receiving portion.

4. A return mail envelope as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coupon receiving portion is of slightly shorter transverse extent than the main envelope, and said second perforated tear line extends for a distance slightly short of the total width of the envelope, whereby the coupon receiving portion may be torn ofi. and placed inside of the envelope, which may then be sealed by the envelope flap.

5. A return mail envelope as claimed in claim 4, wherein spaces are provided on the coupon receiving portion for the orderers name and address.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,091,172 3/1914 Thayer 229-73 1,344,394 6/1920 HolTman 22973 2,931,559 4/1960 Hilliard 22973 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

R. PESHOCK, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A RETURN MAILING ENVELOPE COMPRISING A MAIN ENVELOPE PORTION HAVING A FRONT FACE AND A BACK FACE WITH A FILLING OPENING THEREBETWEEN, A GUMMED ENVELOPE FLAP EXTENDING BEYONG THE FRONT FACE OF SAID MAIN ENVELOPE PORTION AWAY FROM THE OPENING, A COUPON PORTION EXTENDING BEYOND SAID FLAP, A COUPON RECEIVING PORTION EXTENDING BEYOND THE BACK FACE OF SAID MAIN ENVELOPE AWAY FROM THE OPENING, A FOLD LINE BETWEEN SAID MAIN ENVELOPE AND SAID FLAP, A PERFORATED TEAR LINE BETWEEN SAID FLAP AND SAID COUPON PORTION, AND A SECOND TEAR LINE BETWEEN THE BACK FACE OF SAID MAIN ENVELOPE PORTION AND SAID RECEIVING PORTION, WHEREBY SAID COUPON PORTION AND SAID COUPON RECEIVING PORTION CAN BE REMOVED AND SAID FLAP MAY BE TURNED ABOUT SAID FOLD LINE TO ADHERE TO THE BACK FACE OF THE MAIN ENVELOPE TO SEAL IT. 